Mother Knows Best
by prince-avery
Summary: Annabeth's new to New York and catches the interest of Percy Jackson. After finally convincing her to go out with him, he learns that her mother doesn't approve. She gives him different tasks to prove to her that he's good enough for her daughter- will he be able to shake the disapproval? AU. Might be a little OOC. Rated T just in case.


She hadn't been to New York for years so when her plane was about to land she couldn't help but stare at all the buildings. The city's skyline was beutiful on its own, but with the sun just starting to set, it was absolutely gorgeous. She wanted to smile and stare outside but a bad feeling had settled in the pit of her stomach.

Since she was a child, she had lived in San Francisco with her dad and his wife and kids, but now she was several states away and going to live with her mom. If things weren't so complicated back with her father, then she would probably still be there. But, her step-mother was convinced that her husband's daughter did no good. She was 17 and while she got good grades, she had no job and spent most of her time in her room. Annabeth could have lived with glares from the older woman everyday, but when her two step-brothers started to treat her like she shouldn't be there, she decided she shouldn't be. Talking to her mom- someone she rarely talked to -she made plans to come live with her and go to a local high school.

She should probably be happy to be away from the in-home harassment, but she already missed her room back in California. However, she didn't have long to be homesick as the plane landed and she got out of her seat. Grabbing her orange backpack, she slowly headed out and made her way toward where she'd meet her mom so they could grab her suitcase and then go.

It didn't take the teen long to spot her mom- Athena Parthenos, a praised architect. She was dressed formally with fitted black pants, a white shirt, and a dark suit jacket. Her hair was wavy and seemed to be carefully styled. Her facial features were sharp, but the best thing was her eyes. They were a startling grey tone that were shining with confidence. But as Annabeth's gaze locked with hers, she felt anything but confident.

Approaching her mother, she gripped her backpack tighter. Who knew what Athena would be like now? The two hadn't even been in the same room for at least four years or so, and now they were meeting again after suddenly coming into contact a few weeks before. Willing herself to not break eye-contact, she was (thankfully) able to speak, "Hi, mom."

"Annabeth," her mom's tone was warm, much to her surprise, "You've grown into a beautiful young woman. I'm afraid that we're going to have to go straight home- I've got work to do. But when we get there, we can order food... You are hungry, aren't you?"

Nodding, Annabeth swept a few strands of curly-blond hair from in front of her eyes and followed her mom away from the gate.

About 45 minutes later, they had arrived at a tall building. From the moment she first saw the building that she would hopefully be able to call home, she was alert. She wanted to be able to spot the little things: the tile in the lobby, the colors of the walls, the type of potted plants in the corners. It was simple and modern and she almost started to wonder if her mom had helped create it, but when her mom's face didn't light up like she imagined an architect's face would when they looked at a building they made, she pushed the thought away. Smiling awkwardly at the doorman as he tipped his hat at the two of them, she stepped into the elevator after Athena. Her mother pressed a few special buttons - or maybe inserted a key card - and it started moving up.

On the way up, neither of them said anything. Annabeth had glanced up at her mom, but if she noticed her daughter looking at her, she didn't show it. Her eyes seemed to be on a certain point- the middle of the elevator doors -and she only moved a little to check her watch every couple of seconds. So the blond was left listening to soft piano music and staring at the quickly-increasing number that showed which floor they were on. No one tried to get on, and they didn't get off until the number was at 52.

Even after flying in a plane, it was odd being up so high. But she didn't really have that much time to focus on how many stories up they were. The room - part of which was a kitchen and dining room, the other part a living room - was huge. One on side was a sleek kitchen with a stainless-steel fridge and dark countertops. Not far from it was a glass table with four chairs on each side. On the living room side was a comfy-looking black sofa that faced a thin television that hung on the wall. Not far from the TV was a bookcase that had more books than she had at her dad's house. The room probably had more interesting things in it, but she couldn't move her gaze from the bookcase. It had been a little while since she had just read a book for fun. Most of the time, when she didn't have to do something like eat or shower, she had to do homework or study for a test, leaving her with little time to enjoy herself. Most of that time was spent relaxing or napping.

Hopefully she'd be able to check out a few of the books that sat neatly on the shelves.

Dragging her eyes from the bookshelf, Annabeth found her mom staring at her expectantly. Realizing that she must have said something, the blond let out an awkward chuckle, "Sorry, I just... I love books." Setting down her bags by the elevator doors, she quickly looked around at all the other furniture in the large room.

Thankfully, Athena didn't seem to be angry - just a little impatient, if anything. "I asked if you were okay with ordering food by yourself. I really should not put off my remaining work much longer. I'll show you your room and the bathroom really quickly, though, and I'll make sure you have the number for most of the food places around here." Her daughter nodded, the older woman beckoned with her hand and made her way toward a door down a short hallway before opening it and stepping aside, "This will be your room. There will be time to decorate it however you'd like later."

Flicking on the light switch, Annabeth glanced around the room. It was a lot bigger than her bedroom at her dad's house which meant nothing was really squished together. Up against the back wall was a queen size - or was it king size? - bed that had grey-and-white sheets and pillows. On both sides of the bed, next to the pillows, were small tables, one with a clock on top. To the right was a desk with a black chair and, to the left, were a dresser with a mirror hanging above it and a door to what looked like a walk-in closet. Walking toward the bed, she sat on the edge and ran her hand across the fabric of the comforter. It was soft but, thankfully, not too soft. She couldn't stand things that were too soft.

Smiling, she glanced up at her mom, "I think it's fine the way it is."

Her mother let out a chuckle, smiling a little, before turning to walk away but stopping and glancing back over her shoulder. "The bathroom is here," she tapped on a door that was to the right of Annabeth's, "and there's a list of food places and their phone numbers on the kitchen counter. I'll have whatever you're going to have - just as long as it doesn't have any fish." And with that, she was gone.

Taking only a moment to glance around her bedroom once more, she got up and started walking toward the door, pausing to slip off her shoes and head back into the main room. Moving around the table, her eyes scanned the dark countertops before landing on the piece of paper where Athena had written names, numbers, and their apartment's address. Settling on someplace called My Greek Pizza, she pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and dialed the number, ordering a medium cheese pizza. Only when she was told the price did she remember that she didn't have any cash on her but, thankfully, her mother had left a $20 under the piece of paper.

After she finished the very awkward call, she stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. She could take a quick shower or see what books her mom owned. But as she looked at her bags sitting next to the door, she decided that until she had eaten, showering and reading could wait. Walking forward and taking a bag in each hand, she hauled them to her room and set the larger one - an actual suitcase - on the bed and her backpack on the desk. Moments later, she had put away the few clothes she had brought with her and organized the rest of what was in the suitcase. Moving onto her backpack, she set her silver laptop on one of her pillows, a few books on the desk, and a few more-personal belongings where they looked best until she could put them away after eating.

Deciding that it should be safe to go down and meet the pizza man in the lobby, she quickly looked in what she assumed was her mom's room and informed her of where she'd be before taking the elevator down. When the doors opened again on the bottom level, Annabeth found herself staring at a teenage-looking guy arguing with the doorman she saw when entering the building earlier. As the two heard the ding, both looked up and a large, lopsided grin appeared on the younger guy's face. "Annabeth Chase, right? I was going to take your pizza all the way up to your guys' place! But this guy wouldn't let me. I told him who I was taking it to and he wouldn't let me up because I wasn't allowed, blah blah blah. Anyway, here's your pizza - cheese, right? You seem like a cheese pizza kind of girl."

At first, she didn't really know how to respond, instead choosing to just narrow her eyes at the elf-like boy who grinned at her. After a few moments, she spoke, "how do you know my name?" Studying his expression, she hesitantly took the pizza box and handed him the cash.

He seemed like he was expecting her question because he laughed loudly. After taking the money and giving back the correct change, he explained."I know everyone in this town and there have been exactly 0 Annabeths before now and I've never seen you before. So you must be her. Besides, your mom is Athena, right? I heard her daughter was moving in with her, and she lives in the penthouse. Anyway, I've gotta get going. Don't want my boss getting angry at me. Though... She probably couldn't be angrier than that one time I almost burned the place down. Now THAT is a story - one I'll tell later. See you around, Annabeth," he winked, grinning more, "I'm Leo, by the way. Just incase you want to tell someone about how devishly handsome the guy who delivered your pizza is." And with that, he turned and left.

Honestly, she had just stood there listening to him talk, only waving confusedly as he left - this Leo kid sure was weird. Glancing at the doorman who looked just as confused and considerably more annoyed than her, she shrugged and headed back toward the elevator. The doorman leaned inside for a moment, did the same thing her mother had earlier, and she was on her way up again.

Fifteen minutes later, she had eaten as much pizza as she could handle but makings ure that her mom would get some if she came out of her room before midnight. After looking in the fridge, she quickly discovered that there was nothing really interesting or appropriate to drink. A few water bottles were in the door and there was a half-full carton of orange-juice and pitcher full of what looked like iced tea on the shelves. Settling on a bottle of water, she twisted open the cap and took a sip as she walked toward her room, setting it on one of the tables by her bed. Grabbing a tank-top and pajama bottoms from the dresser, she left once more to check out the bathroom.

Annabeth wasn't surprised to see a huge shower or a wall that seemed to be just a giant mirror. It had to be as grand as the rest of the house and it definitely was. Setting her clothes on the counter, she took a moment to look in the mirror before turning away and sliding open the shower door. But it seemed more complicated than a 'turn this knob and the water will turn on' type of shower. Letting out a humph, the blond examined the lever. If she could get all A's at her old school where teachers assigned two hours of homework each night, she could turn on a damn shower. After moving the handle a few times, she finally figured it out - pull out then turn left for cold or right for hot.

After getting in, washing her hair and body - which took longer than usual because the shower was not as simple as the rest of the house - and getting out, she wrapped herself in a towel and stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was dripping with water and the blond curls were darker than usual. There were dark bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep because of school and the large amounts of schoolwork. Maybe the next few days - Tonight, Saturday, and Sunday - she would actually be able to catch up on the hours she missed. She would be going to Goode starting on Monday, but until then she wouldn't have to worry about any work, leaving her plenty of time to relax. Making herself smile and frown, she studied the different parts of her face before letting out a sigh. "This is the new start you've been wanting for a while," she reminded herself, smiling a little and moving to actually dry off her body.

Not long after, she had crawled into bed with her phone and laptop, listening to music as she fell asleep.

The next morning, she woke up with her arms wrapped tightly around one of the pillows that was at the top of the bed. Her laptop was, thankfully, at the foot of the bed and her phone was who-knows-where. Blinking slowly, Annabeth turned to glance at her clock which read 9:56 AM. Ready to freak out because if it had been two or three days before, she would be late for school. But thankfully, it was Saturday. Plus, she was at her mom's. Letting out a sigh of relief, she turned and swung her legs over the side of the bed, standing and making her way into the main room.

When she got there, her mother was sitting at the table, drinking what Annabeth assumed was tea and frowning at a newspaper. When she spotted her daughter, Athena set her cup down. "We'll go to the store and get you new school supplies and clothes in a bit. Go get dressed and we'll go get breakfast, then shopping."

Half an hour later, the two had arrived at an IHOP which was, to Annabeth, an odd place to go. Her mom was a well-known architect with a good amount of money - why was she going to somewhere like this? She was ready to question her mom's actions more when her stomach rumbled, instead deciding that anywhere with food was good enough for her. Quickly following her mom inside and sitting across from her when they were shown a table, she figured that she would need to be the one to start a conversation.

After glancing at the menu and deciding what she'd get, she set it down, looking up at her mom cautiously. She wasn't really sure what things her mom would be okay with talking about. "The guy who delivered our pizza last night, his name's Leo... I don't know his last name, actually. But, uh, he has black curly hair, talks a lot, looks around my age? Do you know him? Because he acted like he knows you."

The older woman narrowed her eyes at her daughter, glancing up from her menu momentarily, "Yes, I've met him before. He's quite..." She was quiet for a few moments, searching for an appropriate word to describe the dark-haired boy. "Energetic."

That definitely was a good way to describe him. Resisting the urge to smile a little, Annabeth sipped on a glass of cold milk that their waiter had brought over. When her mother had met him, had he been as odd as he was to her the night before? Thinking about what that must have been like, the corners of her lips pulled upward. Noticing the smile, Athena looked up at the blond and raised her eyebrows, "What's so fascinating?" Being pulled from her thoughts, Annabeth blinked and opened her mouth to respond but thankfully their waiter appeared before she could speak.

Not too long after, their food was set in front of each of them, leaving them to eat in silence. When they were done, Athena paid for the meal and the two of them left. "So, where to next?" Annabeth asked her mother, buckling herself into the passenger seat of the car.

"I'll drop you off at Walmart and come pick you up in about an hour so that you have plenty of time to get what you need. I would come with you but I have important matters to deal with back at the firm."

Honestly, she was a little disappointed. This might have been a chance for her to get to know her mom at least a little better, and now she'd be shopping alone. She was used to doing things on her own, but still. Nodding, she sat back and stared out the car window, looking at all the buildings that they passed. Her mom looked like she wanted to say something at one point but remained quiet. A few minutes later, her phone rang and whoever was on the other end of the call seemed to be giving her an update on the 'important things' she mentioned before. Her expression hardened and when she hung up, a sigh escaped from her lips. The blond was tempted to ask her if things were okay though didn't speak, instead focusing on the shopping center that they had pulled into.

The biggest building was a Walmart but honestly, she wasn't really surprised. Next to it was some pet store, a shoe store, and a store that looked so pink that it was probably thrown up on by a fairy. However, she didn't care too much for any of the previous stores. Instead, she focused on the Barnes and Noble that was close enough to Walmart that it would probably only take about five minutes to walk to it. If she got everything she needed for school quickly enough, she'd be able to look around there.

Pulling up to the Walmart, Athena handed Annabeth a silver credit-card, giving her a look that probably meant something like this is not a toy. Smiling gratefully at her mother, the blond hopped out of the car and made her way inside of the store. She could tell from just taking a few steps inside the store that it was about twice as big as any Target back near her dad's. It took a few minutes to locate the aisles that had notebooks and pencils on it and even longer than that to choose what things she would need.

Arms filled with everything that she decided was good enough, she checked out and quickly left the store, wanting to be able to look around the bookstore for as long as possible. Once inside it, she headed past the magazine section and straight toward all the books. Half an hour later, she had chosen two books that she was sure Athena wouldn't mind her buying. There were so many that she could have gotten. In fact, she was sure that she could fill a pool with all the books that she wanted to read, but finally managed to narrow down the choices. When she was handing the person behind a cash register the credit card she was given, her mom called to ask her where she was.

"I'm at Barnes and Noble. I'll be out in a minu-"

"Please hurry."

Frowning at her phone as her mom hung up on her, she shrugged and took the plastic bag with her new books in it and the credit card. Holding all of her bags close to her, she left the store to se her mother's car waiting right in front of the doors. Climbing in, Annabeth put the bags in the back and handed the credit card back to her mother. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself," she mumbled, buckling her seat belt as they drove off.

When they got home, Athena went straight into her room, leaving her daughter to do what she wanted for the rest of the day. Taking everything to her room, the blond settled on her bed with her books. Other than getting up every once in a while to get something to eat, she stayed in her room, absorbed in one of the books.

The next day was spent in a similar fashion, only stopping once around noon to prepare her backpack for school the following day.

**Sorry if this seemed a little slow, I just wanted to get it done and out to kind of introduce this fanfiction idea I had. I have everything planned out though I might change some things later on since I'm unsure about them. **

**So uhh, favorite and review if you like it? I've never really written anything this long before- especially anything Percy Jackson. I can't promise that a next chapter will come next week, though maybe the week after that, we'll just have to see! Hopefully updates will get sooner as the story progresses and I get more used to writing with the characters.**

**Thanks for reading! **

**-A**


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